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Every month, the Rotary Club of Nairobi East dedicates a Tuesday to its members to share about their vocations. On Tuesday 12th November, two newly inducted Rotarians shared about their vocations during the lunch fellowship. Below is what they spoke about.

George Rutto, banker/financial expert

George Rutto giving his talk

“I started out as a Management trainee many years ago at National Bank of Kenya and I have risen to my current position as Head of Internal Audit.

For many years
Auditors weren’t referred to as Auditors, they were referred to as ‘Inspectors’
– they would check everything including what work has been left pending at the
end of a given work day. They would randomly stop work at any point to check
what has been done and in banks, if tellers had any cash shortages.

Audit was purely about
compliance.

Audit, as we know it
today, now evaluates risk in addition to compliance. The times started changing
in 2008 when there was the global financial crisis. The questions raised after
this financial crisis revolved mostly around where internal audit and
management of the different organizations were as all that happened.

A committee was
formed to check how the crisis happened and it was found that Internal Audit’s
focus was on compliance. There was no focus on Governance and Risk Management. This
is how the role of Internal Audit changed from an Inspector to an advisor, a
partner in business.

What
Internal Audit involves

Internal Audit is no
longer about sitting in a corner until review is needed and done; it is now
about being part of strategy development and execution.

Internal Auditors
review risk and governance in organizations, including review of IT systems.
Given people have moved to seeking services from IT systems (like using an App
to perform banking transactions), audit of IT systems has become crucial.

Also, Internal Audit,
more so in banks, is now being done using IT tools given the high number of
transactions being done online and on mobile devices. The use of the tools is
also due to the need to capture customer data real time to aid in planning and
prompt addressing of customer queries.

Internal Auditors
being involved in strategy development and execution has opened new
opportunities for Auditors since the exposure enables them to effectively
function in other departments.”

Rosemary Adhi – Clinician

Rosemary Adhi talking about her vocation

“I studied clinical medicine and surgery at theKenya Medical Training College, Nairobi. I did my internship at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH). I have worked in various hospitals through the years, working in dermatological and chest departments.

I have been at KNH since 2008 and in the chest department since 2012. I moved to the Asthma clinic two months ago. I am also a student at Kenyatta University pursuing an Environmental Health course.

I have participated in various community projects in my home area of Marsabit including the successful lobbying for the installation of a Safaricom mast in one of the constituencies in Marsabit, the building of an ablution block in one of the primary schools and giving of dignity Kits to girls in 5 schools. I also mentor primary school children. In addition to all the above, I am a mother to five children.

Rtn. George receives an appreciation pin

Rtn. Adhi receives an appreciation pin

Q&A

Is there a way that
internal auditors contribute to the growth of a company except in monitoring?

George:Yes, there are. Now Internal Auditors participate in the development and
implementation of strategies therefore, they participate in pre-audit of
projects to help determine where money might be lost. They also advise on any
governance concerns.

Can you tell the
health/diet of a person by looking at their skin?

Adhi:Yes, you can. The doctor will advise accordingly
just by looking at your skin. If, for example, the complaint is dull skin, a
medic will tell, just by looking at you, that the root of it is not taking much
water and taking drinks that dehydrate – like alcohol. They will therefore
recommend a diet full of vegetables, fruits and water and avoidance of daily consumption
of red meat.

How do you maintain
work-life balance?

Adhi:As a mother of five children, time with them has to
intentional. I must intentionally plan and allocate time and ensure I spend it
with my family.